Arsenal eye Sandro Tonali and Trent Alexander-Arnold in £250m rebuild
Premier League champions Arsenal are plotting a £250m summer transfer rebuild featuring ambitious moves for Newcastle United’s Sandro Tonali and Real Madrid’s Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Manager Mikel Arteta is eager to aggressively strengthen his squad following a heartbreaking penalty shootout defeat to Paris St-Germain in the Champions League final.
The club’s ownership is reportedly prepared to match last summer’s record outlay to ensure the north Londoners remain dominant domestically and in Europe.
Tonali seeks Champions League return
The Italian international initially emerged as a target in January, but his desire to play in Europe’s elite competition has accelerated summer discussions.
Representatives for the 26-year-old recently contacted Gunners sporting director Andrea Berta after the Magpies failed to secure European qualification.
Former Arsenal defender Nacho Monreal believes adding the combative midfielder would make Arteta’s engine room completely unmatched.
“If Arsenal sign Tonali, obviously they will have the best midfield in the world.”
However, Monreal acknowledged that integrating him alongside existing stars like Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi could create financial and tactical headaches.
“To have both Tonali, Zubimendi, and Rice would be a lot, so I can only imagine that they would have to sell either Zubimendi or Declan Rice.”
Alexander-Arnold’s Spanish struggles
Speculation is also mounting over a shock Premier League return for Alexander-Arnold.
Former England striker Teddy Sheringham recently tipped the dynamic right-back as a surprise defensive target for the reigning English champions.
The 27-year-old has endured a deeply frustrating debut campaign in Spain since leaving boyhood club Liverpool on a free transfer last year.
Having struggled to maintain a consistent starting role in Madrid, the versatile defender could be tempted by a fresh start back in his homeland.